The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1887-10-08
USEFUL INFORMATION.


From advance sheets of the American Agricul-
turist for October copy the following articles:
Water in Butter.-While salt will readily dis
solve at fifty degrees, it is not easy to get the
butter free from the surplus water, and it is by
this needless water that much injury is done to
butter. Fifty degrees would be better, and
salt the butter at sixty degrees. Water is great
solvent of caseine and sugar-traces of which will
be found in all butter, however well worked but
the more water remaining after working over, the
greater the chemical action, and acting upon the
minute particles of curd or cheese, it becomes
rancid by well known chemical action. Butter
should not contain more water than is necessary
to dissolve what salt it will retain in the form of
brine, and fourteen per cent. seems to be about
the amount. More water than this dilutes the
brine, and defeats by so much the object Of the
use of salt in butter-to preserve the casene from
chemical change-nor can this be accomp shed
save in a temperature below fifty degrees. In
the usual creamery butter, and all that made by
cold setting, the maker often unintentionay
leaves more than twenty per cent. of water in but
ter, not understanding that butter made from
cream slightly acid, retains more moisture than
that made from sourer cream. The souring b eaks
up the texture of the cream, and the butter sepa-
rates better from the butter milk. Then all the
butter maker needs to do is to churn the ripened
cream at lower temperature than is needed for
sour to salt each time in washing it free from
salt is used to season the butter, let it dissolve
and then by gently working and packing, know
that the butter is free from any excess of water
above fourteen per cent. Then if kept below fifty
degrees and away from the influence of the air,
butter made from soured milk must keep well.
Orchard Products and What Becomes of Them.
-"They are eaten mostly" and if the roofs of the
five million more farm houses in this country
were lifted off some cold winter night, and the
happy fresides disclosed, that answer to the in
auiry would seem to be final. The orchard pro-
ducts are eaten-devoured by young and old, fed
to animals, sold in the market, while uncounted
millions of windfalls and eaten fruit rot on
the ground, and return to the land somewhat of
the valuable qualities the growing crop has so
eagerly taken up. By the census of 1880, the
value of the orchard products of the United States
was nearly $51,000,00O. This includes apples,
peaches, pears, etc. The special inquiry now is
to the apple crop, which is no doubt the largest
proportion of the above-named sum. The export
of apples, dried and in barrels, reaches the very
respectable figure of nearly S3,000000 in value
boon and "boom" of no inconsiderable account
to the farmer-while canned fruits exported ag-
gregate O value of more than 1000.
Improving Seed Wheat-A prominent seed firm
in England is reported to be making important
experiment." in crossing varieties OF wheat This
is done with view to obtain kinds which shall be
better suited to the particular conditions of soil
and climate of various sections of England, than
any varieties now grown. The most experienced
wheat growers of this country have long been con-
v;nasa +la+ -~;n+;s hn++-- *'~-ss owl
ture and that farmers need better preparation
of the soil rather than new varieties OF wheat.
Every farmer can greatly improve the variety he
is growing by giving proper attention to his seed
Let him devote patch or part of field to rails
ing seed. This should have special fertilizing and
the seed should be in rows far enough apart to
allow Of cultvating between them. Thin the plants
in the rows as to give each one abundant room,
and pull out all inferior and badly developed
plants. Before harvesting go through and remove
all that have short and poor ears. Thresh this
wheat by itself, and in winnowing take pains to
blow the light grains away from the heavier ones
BY following this course for several years, allow
ing each plant to do its part, great Improvement
will result, and valuable strain, if not variety,
will be established.
Care of Work Horses Frequently the farm horse
suffers from over-feeding, and from being worked
on full stomach for farm horses eat all the time,
and look lean and wire coated-two certain proofs
| of chronic indigestion. Horses which have pass
ed many hours in work, when released from mar
ness are allowed to drink all the water their ex-
| hausted systems crave for; then, with the mate
rial of small iceberg in their distended inner or
gans, they are turned loose TO futner lnJure tuen
selves by grazing in the pasture; or, the farmer
ia well to do they 90 to the barn. and there, tor
mented by the flies, mosquitoes, and other winged
pests devour a carelessly prepared ration, after
which the remainder of the night is passed in
stamping and fighting insects. Farm horses are
overfed, commonly, insuffciently groomed, and
| never judiciously either housed or clothed. In
summer. farm work ought to commence with the
rising of the sun, and cease at noon, when men
and horses should seek the friendly shelter of the
house and stable. The horses just from the field
ought then to be stripped of all harness, have their
ewes and nostrils washed out, the marks OF the
harness also washed off, and then be well rubbed
with "wisp"-which simple and inexpensive
stable implement is far better for the horse than
is brush, whose coarse stalks irritate the skin
and temper of the suffering beast The wisp
sooths and causes healthy action of the SKIN,
when the horses have been thus attended to, and
they have cooled off